Prologue: What is the Purpose of the
Principles of Extropy?
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Philosophies of life
rooted in centuries-old traditions contain much wisdom concerning
personal, organizational, and social living. Many of us also find
shortcomings in those traditions. How could they not reach some mistaken
conclusions when they arose in pre-scientific times? At the same time,
ancient philosophies of life have little or nothing to say about
fundamental issues confronting us as advanced technologies begin to
enable us to change our identity as individuals and as humans and as
economic, cultural, and political forces change global relationships.
The Principles of Extropy first took shape in the late 1980s to outline
an alternative lens through which to view the emerging and unprecedented
opportunities, challenges, and dangers. The goal was and is
to use current scientific understanding along with critical and creative
thinking to define a small set of principles or values that could help
make sense of the confusing but potentially liberating and existentially
enriching capabilities opening up to humanity.
The Principles of Extropy do not specify particular beliefs,
technologies, or policies. The Principles do not pretend to be a
complete philosophy of life. The world does not need another totalistic
dogma. The Principles of Extropy do consist of a handful of principles
(or values or perspectives) that codify proactive, life-affirming and
life-promoting ideals. Individuals who cannot comfortably adopt
traditional value systems often find the Principles of Extropy useful as
postulates to guide, inspire, and generate innovative thinking about
existing and emerging fundamental personal, organizational, and social
issues.
The Principles are intended to be enduring, underlying ideals and
standards. At the same time, both in content and by being revised, the
Principles do not claim to be eternal truths or certain truths. I invite
other independent thinkers who share the agenda of acting as change
agents for fostering better futures to consider the Principles of
Extropy as an evolving framework of attitudes, values, and standards
and as a shared vocabulary to make sense of our unconventional,
secular, and life-promoting responses to the changing human condition. I
also invite feedback to further refine these Principles.
Extropy — The extent of a
living or organizational system’s intelligence, functional order,
vitality, and capacity and drive for improvement
Extropic — Actions, qualities, or outcomes that embody or further
extropy A Note on the Use of "Extropy"
For the sake of brevity, I will often write something like “extropy
seeks…” or “extropy questions…” You can take this to mean “in
so far as we act in accordance with these principles, we
seek/question/study…” “Extropy” is not meant as a real
entity or force, but only as a metaphor representing all that contributes
to our flourishing. Similarly, when I use “we” you should take this to
refer not to any group but to anyone who agrees with what they are
reading. Rather than assuming any reader to be in full agreement with
every one of these principles, this usage instead imagines a hypothetical
person who has integrated the principles into their life and actions. Each
reader is, of course, at liberty to reject, modify, or affirm each
principle separately. What this tentative, conjectural approach to the
Principles of Extropy loses in terms of compelling emotive power, it gains
in terms of reasonableness and openness to innovation and improvement.
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